Liz Watson accepts the Water Challenge

Australian netball player, Melbourne Vixen team member and recently announced Commonwealth Games Australian netball team member Liz Watson is taking part in WaterAid’s Water Challenge this March.

A long time supporter of WaterAid and its work, Liz will drink just water for all of March in support of the one in nine people worldwide who don’t have access to clean water.

Liz has visited WaterAid projects in Papua New Guinea to learn about the challenges facing young women in Papua New Guinea in accessing clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, their difficulties completing school and the lack of gender equality.

Studying to be a teacher on top of her netball commitments, Liz is concerned with how the lack of water, toilets and hygiene can curtail girls’ education and how access to these vital services can create the opportunity for people to take the first steps out of poverty.

“I was excited to visit Papua New Guinea and support WaterAid because the health and wellbeing of young women around the world is something I am extremely passionate about. Sport is a vehicle that encourages self-esteem and leadership, while water, sanitation and hygiene are vital to improving health, reducing poverty and ensuring girls stay in school,” Liz said.

“In Papua New Guinea I saw firsthand the struggles people go though and realised how lucky we are in Australia to have clean water and decent toilets; they are everyday things we take for granted,” said Liz.

“The Water Challenge is something that is so simple for us to do, but the impact it will have in raising awareness and money for those without access to water is considerable. It is a small month of sacrifice for us which isn’t much at all, but in the bigger picture it changes people’s lives and has a big impact,” said Liz.

Giving up coffee will be Liz’s biggest challenge, “Being an athlete I drink lots of water already and giving up alcohol and sugary drinks will be fine, but giving up coffee will be difficult,” said Liz.

You too can take the Water Challenge. Resist coffee, beer, wine, juice, soft drinks and tea this March and instead make water your only beverage for the whole month to help people without access to clean water.